Trial in 2011 highway death begins

Published: Monday, March 11, 2013 at 9:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 11, 2013 at 9:44 p.m.

A night out in April 2011 began with laughter among friends before a confrontation over a few dollars left one dead, according to court testimony Monday.

Timesha S. Lyles, 20, of Spartanburg was driving a SUV that overturned after it careened off Interstate 85 and crashed just before 5:30 a.m. April 17, 2011 near mile marker 61.

Lyles' best friend, Janella Shantel Blocker, 23, of Spartanburg, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal crash. The trial against Blocker began Monday.

Assistant Seventh Circuit Solicitor Russell Ghent told jurors in opening arguments that events leading up to the fatal crash constituted involuntary manslaughter. He said after “badgering” Lyles about a small sum of money, Blocker grabbed the steering wheel and the car went off the road. Ghent said Lyles was pinned in the car and suffocated as a result of the crash.

Blocker's attorney, Josh Schultz, disagreed with Ghent's assertion that the case was not about driving under the influence.

“It's about three girls who had too much to drink and should not have been driving,” Schultz told jurors.

Schultz argued that no one knew what went on in the vehicle in the early morning hours.

Lyles' mother, Marsha Murray, was the last witness to testify Monday.

Lyles lived in an apartment beside her mother. Murray testified that she arrived home from work the evening of April 16, 2011 and heard laughter as she passed Lyles' apartment. Murray went home and fell asleep about an hour later, she testified. She learned the following morning that Lyles had been in a wreck. At a hospital, Murray said she was asked by a trooper and employee with the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office to describe tattoos her daughter had. Then she learned that her daughter was dead.

Murray said Lyles and Blocker had been best friends for years. She described their relationship like sisters and testified that she never saw them argue and if they fought it was over petty differences.

“Did Timesha love (Blocker)?” Ghent asked.

“To death,” Murray replied.

Blocker wasn't the only passenger in the SUV that Lyles drove. Valerie Goodwin, 25, of Spartanburg, testified she was sitting behind Lyles before the crash. Goodwin is Blocker's cousin and said Lyles was a friend.

Both Blocker and Lyles had been drinking and their blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.

Goodwin said they were returning home after visiting clubs in Greenville County. She said Blocker became angry on the way back and accused them of taking money that she could not find. Goodwin said they figured Blocker was missing around $2.

Goodwin said Lyles pulled off the road and tried to calm Blocker down. Goodwin said they began driving again after Blocker appeared calmer. Blocker, she said, cursed before she grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it to the right. Goodwin remembered glass shattering and was on the ground when she regained consciousness. The SUV they were in had flipped upside down. Goodwin found Blocker who was also ejected from the vehicle, but did not find Lyles.

Under cross examination, Schultz suggested that Goodwin's memory of events could have been less clear due to the alcohol she drank. Goodwin testified she had three mixed drinks and said she shared a mini bottle of alcohol with the other women over the course of the night. But Goodwin maintained the effects of the alcohol had worn off by the time she gave her statement to investigators and that her memory about the moments leading up to the crash was “crystal” clear.

An employee with the Spartanburg County Communications 9-1-1 who testified that he took the emergency call and dispatched responders, said on cross examination that he found nothing in the transcript from the 9-1-1 call that indicated someone grabbed the steering wheel before the crash. It was unclear exactly who placed the call.

A former paramedic dispatched to the accident testified that Blocker was “combative.” He read from a report he made after responding to the accident, in which he wrote that Blocker smelled of alcohol and pulled out an IV during a struggle. He said Blocker was strapped to a backboard and was so combative that he had to hold her down to keep her from jumping out of the ambulance.

<p>A night out in April 2011 began with laughter among friends before a confrontation over a few dollars left one dead, according to court testimony Monday.</p><p>Timesha S. Lyles, 20, of Spartanburg was driving a SUV that overturned after it careened off Interstate 85 and crashed just before 5:30 a.m. April 17, 2011 near mile marker 61.</p><p>Lyles' best friend, Janella Shantel Blocker, 23, of Spartanburg, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the fatal crash. The trial against Blocker began Monday.</p><p>Assistant Seventh Circuit Solicitor Russell Ghent told jurors in opening arguments that events leading up to the fatal crash constituted involuntary manslaughter. He said after “badgering” Lyles about a small sum of money, Blocker grabbed the steering wheel and the car went off the road. Ghent said Lyles was pinned in the car and suffocated as a result of the crash.</p><p>Blocker's attorney, Josh Schultz, disagreed with Ghent's assertion that the case was not about driving under the influence.</p><p>“It's about three girls who had too much to drink and should not have been driving,” Schultz told jurors.</p><p>Schultz argued that no one knew what went on in the vehicle in the early morning hours.</p><p>Lyles' mother, Marsha Murray, was the last witness to testify Monday.</p><p>Lyles lived in an apartment beside her mother. Murray testified that she arrived home from work the evening of April 16, 2011 and heard laughter as she passed Lyles' apartment. Murray went home and fell asleep about an hour later, she testified. She learned the following morning that Lyles had been in a wreck. At a hospital, Murray said she was asked by a trooper and employee with the Spartanburg County Coroner's Office to describe tattoos her daughter had. Then she learned that her daughter was dead.</p><p>Murray said Lyles and Blocker had been best friends for years. She described their relationship like sisters and testified that she never saw them argue and if they fought it was over petty differences.</p><p>“Did Timesha love (Blocker)?” Ghent asked.</p><p>“To death,” Murray replied.</p><p>Blocker wasn't the only passenger in the SUV that Lyles drove. Valerie Goodwin, 25, of Spartanburg, testified she was sitting behind Lyles before the crash. Goodwin is Blocker's cousin and said Lyles was a friend.</p><p>Both Blocker and Lyles had been drinking and their blood alcohol level was above the legal limit.</p><p>Goodwin said they were returning home after visiting clubs in Greenville County. She said Blocker became angry on the way back and accused them of taking money that she could not find. Goodwin said they figured Blocker was missing around $2.</p><p>Goodwin said Lyles pulled off the road and tried to calm Blocker down. Goodwin said they began driving again after Blocker appeared calmer. Blocker, she said, cursed before she grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it to the right. Goodwin remembered glass shattering and was on the ground when she regained consciousness. The SUV they were in had flipped upside down. Goodwin found Blocker who was also ejected from the vehicle, but did not find Lyles.</p><p>Under cross examination, Schultz suggested that Goodwin's memory of events could have been less clear due to the alcohol she drank. Goodwin testified she had three mixed drinks and said she shared a mini bottle of alcohol with the other women over the course of the night. But Goodwin maintained the effects of the alcohol had worn off by the time she gave her statement to investigators and that her memory about the moments leading up to the crash was “crystal” clear.</p><p>An employee with the Spartanburg County Communications 9-1-1 who testified that he took the emergency call and dispatched responders, said on cross examination that he found nothing in the transcript from the 9-1-1 call that indicated someone grabbed the steering wheel before the crash. It was unclear exactly who placed the call.</p><p>A former paramedic dispatched to the accident testified that Blocker was “combative.” He read from a report he made after responding to the accident, in which he wrote that Blocker smelled of alcohol and pulled out an IV during a struggle. He said Blocker was strapped to a backboard and was so combative that he had to hold her down to keep her from jumping out of the ambulance.</p>